Sledding in the Crowsnest Pass is always exciting and rides can differ significantly depending on where you sled—one day you could be up high on steep mountain slopes and the next day you could find yourself playing in bowls and meadows.
Vern Pedersen, the president of the Crow Snow Riders, said that he has been snowmobiling for years and has yet to run out of places to sled or people to go with. Pedersen’s favourite people to snowmobile with are his girlfriend and his buddies.
“My ride changes depending on who I am riding with,” said Pedersen. “I enjoy all aspects of the ride, whether it is a trail ride from the cabin or jumping into the steep slopes and going basin riding. Some days, especially last year with the snow conditions and the avalanches, it changed our riding drastically. We spent more time on the trail systems than we did on the basin.”
An evolving sport
Pedersen has been a sledder since he was a young boy. He said that his awareness of the risks that come with being in the backcountry is constantly evolving. Although Pedersen loves the rush and the thrill of snowmobiling, safety and respecting the wilderness come first.
“We know the risks associated with being out in the white stuff and it is always in the back of our minds,” said Pedersen. “What we have to learn as a group and as people who do enjoy the backcountry is we have to respect the backcountry; we have to be stewards of the backcountry…We go out there to enjoy the backcountry—that is what we do.”
Pedersen is the southern regional director for the Alberta Snowmobile Association and he has been working with various user groups and the National Trail Coalition to redevelop some of the trails around the region. This work will benefit the Crow Snow Riders, the Crowsnest Pass Quad Squad, and hikers, horseback riders, bikers and other user groups.
